A Different Kind of Silence
by wildhoneyy
Summary: His heart stopped beating. Why was she calling? Was something wrong? What had happened? Was she okay? Was it her that was calling? What if it was Tony? Or Gibbs? Did something happen to his Ziva? He took a deep breath and a sip of his tea and pressed answer. - This is what happens when Malachi learns of Eli's death.
1. Chapter 1

** A Different Kind of Silence**

** What happens when Malachi learns of Eli death? A man that he, truly thought of as a father. **

The light streamed into the kitchen as the sun rose over the seemingly endless Israeli landscape. The sunlight cascaded across the stone tile floor and lit up the small home that stood on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. He sat at the kitchenette with a newspaper and sipped his green tea. He was barefoot and wore gray Ralph Lauren pajama pants and a black vneck tee shirt. He was physically stunning, and esthetically attractive with his olive skin, short black hair and the scar on his brow. The shirt he was wearing fell loosely over his stomach but the sleeves hugged the muscles on his arms. He was tall, with broad shoulders and the body of a Greek god. He was intimidating to some, but as he sat in the small kitchen sipping his tea, he was so gentle and refined.

It was the beginning of his vacation, a long awaited and well deserved vacation at that. As some people in his line of work would leave Israel the first chance he got, he loathed the action of leaving his country. There was no other place that he felt the safest, and the most at home. His mentor used to make fun of this mindset, even though he felt the same way. To feel at home in a country where everyone around you says that you have no home, and to feel safe in a country that is attacked daily was an irony that only few understood.

He read the paper in silence. A warm breeze came through the open window above the sink. He could hear birds out. The sky was light blue and the day smelled new, somehow the day smelled new. There was something about today, he could feel it in his gut. Something wasn't exactly right about today. Granted, nothing had changed in his morning routine, no irregularities, nothing. However something kept tugging at him.

As he finished the paper he was enjoying he folded it up exactly how it was originally and laid it on the table. He picked up his mug and took a sip of tea. He looked out the window to the site before him. Trees, hills, the blue sky on the desert landscape. He could hear the faint voices of the two elderly men down the road who argued over whatever news grabbed their attention that morning. It wasn't silent, but to him it was his favorite kind of silence. He felt peaceful at home.

The shrill cry of his telephone broke his peace. He ignored it, he was on vacation and things at work could wait. That would be who it was calling him at the break of dawn, work. He knew it because it was always so. The phone stopped ringing and he tilted his head back, enjoying the letting in of his peace again.

Just as he was getting back to his relaxed state of mind his phone cried out for him again. Getting up from his seat at the table, his mug in hand, he walked into the adjoining living room. He picked up his phone and looked at the caller ID.

"Ziva"

His heart stopped beating. Why was she calling? Was something wrong? What had happened? Was she okay? Was it her that was calling? What if it was Tony? Or Gibbs? Did something happen to his Ziva?

All of his thoughts rushed him and he forgot about the ringing phone in his hand, he took a deep breath, a sip of his tea and pressed answer.

"Officer Ben-Gidon" there was silence on the other end. Silence like this, was something that caused goosebumps to form on the back of his neck. He could feel his heart beating faster, "Ziva? Ziva answer me!"

He heard her take a breath, a deep breath, and she finally spoke, "Malachi".


	2. Chapter 2

A Different Kind of Silence  
Chapter two

"Malachi" that was all she said. He shivered at the sound of her voice saying his name, a name that he has heard her say many times over. Her voice was solemn, saddening. He knew right away that something has happened. Something that had disturbed her soul.

He knew his Ziva well, better than she may even know herself sometimes. The weight of her voice indicated that bad news was about to be given, he could feel it. This was what he somehow felt in his gut since the moment he had awaken.

Malachi wondered what she could be calling about now, it was the middle of the night in Washington. This did nothing more than make him uneasy.

"Ziva," was all he could say, all that came out of his mouth. Silence, was all that he could hear. Her labored breathing greeted him on the other end. She didn't sound in distress, which calmed him down enough to be able to think.

He sat his cup down on the wooden coffee table and sat down on the black suede couch. He sat back against the cushion, but was still very tense. He sighed a contemplative sigh, "Ziva... Ziva, tell me what is wrong. Tell me that you are okay."

Silence. He heard her stifle what sounded like a coming sob. His heart hurt, he knew she was crying. He sat like that on the couch, in silence, for minutes though they seemed like hours. Holding the phone up against his ear as if it would disappear from his hand, if he could only travel through the phone line and be with her he would.

He was one of the handful of people who had seen her cry. He once had the privilege if being her confidante but he lost that trust, and had slowly gained it back over the last three years.

He had seen her through many things, from her silly worries as a teenager to the death of her sister to her attack in the army and beyond, far beyond. The difference here that made him all the more frustrated was that he couldn't hold her, and tell her that whatever it was that it would work it's way out. She always had a way of getting up and being a stronger person than before.

"Malachi, I should not really be calling you but..." She sniffled, "I know that you will understand and stand with me."

Malachi hadn't seen Ziva this vulnerable since she returned to Israel after Michael's death. She was erratic and angry, wanting answers that her father could not give her. Sitting on his couch a disheveled mess, drinking all of his beer with him that night after NCIS had left and she had stayed. That had always been the "Mossad shiva", toast away their life and their accomplishments with fine wine or the best beer. Hadar had a bottle of scotch, that he had kept since his younger days, that he wanted drank in his remembrance. They did drink, him and Eli sat together and remembered their friend on a sailboat in the middle of the Adriatic.

Coming back from his thoughts he asked her, "Ziva, what is it? Tell me," he scrubbed his face with his hand, "please."

He could hear Ziva sigh, and could practically see the frustration on her face. Her nose scrunched up and her eyes somehow a shad darker. He stood and walked to the window, he didn't know what could warrant this call from her which was a midnight call on her end. He scrubbed his hand over the scruff on his face, he decided to grow it out, reminding himself to shave if he left the house.

"My father is dead." He could barely hear her but he was listening. Malachi dropped the phone.

He was dazed, he felt like someone had just kicked him in the head. He picked up the dropped telephone a d put it back to his ear. Thinking clearly, this did not make sense at all! How was he dead?! He was at his cabin in the country. How was he dead, when he would surely have his always present protective detail. How was he dead? When his home and vehicle were all covered in bullet resistant glass. He scrubbed his face and sighed, confusion seeped through the phone to the other side. He knew she would pick up on it. He paused before he continued, knowing not what to say, "Ziva..." He didn't know how to complete the sentence.

"He was killed, here Malachi. Here in America."

"That is absurd, he wouldn't travel without me or a detail which would have to be approved by me. How is this?"

"He came here without notification to anyone. Me. You. Mossad. Either of our governments. He is not the only one dead, Jackie Vance also died in the attack. Director Vance and myself got lucky..."

Malachi couldn't believe this. He sat down on the edge of the couch and rested his head in his hands, "tell me everything."


	3. Chapter 3

A Different Kind of Silence  
Chapter Three

She told him everything, from the moment she opened the door to her Mini Cooper and saw him in the passenger seat to the moment she saw him against the door-jamb lifeless and fragile. She spared no detail, going into her feelings and his, into personal revelations between the two, into the accidental murder he committed and blatant cover up he orchestrated, into how she treated him, how she stormed out, and how she felt guilty for doing so, and into how she would never get the chance to tell her she loved him.

"Ziva, this is not your fault. Regardless of whether you stormed out. You should be thanking God that you did, otherwise there is certainty that you would not be here at this moment. You, of all people, should know this." he wanted the end to slap her in the face and wake her up.

Malachi sighed, leaned back on the couch and folded his legs. Confusion had left a feeling of numbness, but he could already feel the burning fire of anger coming up from the pits of his stomach. He decided then and there that this was about to get handled swiftly and very much appropriately. He was always the calmest between the two, and he knew that soon he would have a fiery and angry woman at his hands, but she was older now, and more refined in her work but old habits die hard and the Ziva that was angry bulldozed through everything and everyone and left nothing in her wake.

"Noone knew he was there yet he was managed to be killed..." He got up, walked down the hall and into his study. He stood at his desk and flipped through some papers, "this is not good. You said he met with the Iranian, do you have a guess as to how they communicated?"

He heard her fumble her phone, more than likely looking for a notebook or something she had been brainstorming on, "I believe email, however that is too risky and he knows it. I don't have his computer, only some notepads and other travel items. His phone is locked, I am having McGee hack it as we speak."

"I will travel to Tehran and speak with his staff, and observe his associates. Has Ilan been notified? This means that he will have to step up..." he let out an exasperated sigh. Ilan Bodner was not a favorite around Mossad headquarters, and he was never a favorite in the army. Cocky, arrogant, reckless and a fool. Hopefully the power would be too much and they wouldn't have him as director for long.

"No, he has not. We are trying to keep this quiet for at least a few days. We need time to figure out where to start and try to get a step forward before our governments get tangled in this."

"Ilan will not be happy to hear his free ride is over and actual work will have to be done. I wish I could be there to see him try to one up Gibbs."

"Must have been the most embarrassing moment of your life Malachi, now that you are wishing it upon others..."

Malachi shed a half smile, "No, I was bull headed and too many factors were involved, over protective and worried sound about right. I was actually very wrong in my wishes then, as was your father. The time I remember most vividly of being the more embarrassing was being ordered to strip in the middle of the cafeteria because your father wanted to see if I had any marks on my body..."

"He was being a father. He was so determined to catch us."

"You were young still..."

"You should have never worn pink briefs."

"At least I was wearing underwear at all!"

"You gave the women a good show though...and a few men." Ziva laughed at the memory, "I am sure however that Ilan will cast you to the side now that he wears the crown."

"Oh I am positive he will. Orli will step up as Deputy Director so we will have some faith things will continue to be done right, and as they should. Even with Ilan in the seat of Director."

Ziva sighed an exasperated sigh, "And how is Mossad's favorite opportunist?"

"Ziva...play nice. She is well, still as fiery as always. She is going to be very upset with the news of Eli's death..." Malachi could practically hear Ziva roll her eyes. He added, "she will want to see you."

"I have to visit my Aunt first, then I will THINK about seeing her."

"Ziva...do not be like this." Malachi walked back into the kitchen, switched it to speakerphone, and placed it on the island counter. He proceeded to the fridge, still addressing Ziva on the phone, "she loves you just as much as her own. Actually, probably more than her own. I will let you know if that is true in about an hour or so when we have lunch." Malachi laughed. Orli's daughter was just as fiery as her mother, even more dangerous and equally as beautiful.

"She is going to kill you one day, and I will be left to present your eulogy."

Malachi opened the bottled water he had taken from the fridge, picked up the phone, turned it off of the speaker and placed it back up to his ear. Walking to the open bay window he stated, "I would probably let her if she batted her eyelashes and asked nicely." Malachi looked out to the sun, they had been talking for hours. It was almost 1100 and he had to meet his parter for lunch, but he did not want to let Ziva go now that she wasn't as upset as she was when she rang initially.

"Ziva, I will do some searching and I will clean out your fathers home and see what I can find before anyone hears of this. I don't want Ilan in his personal files, or his things. Quite frankly Ziva, I do not have a good feeling about Ilan right now. Anyone at the Office right now, actually. But, my being at your father's home would never be questioned so it can easily be done. Can you give me a couple of hours?"

"It's 0500 here, that gives you about two hours until the day begins at NCIS." Malachi placed the phone back on speaker and proceeded to his bedroom. Pulling a pair of dark jeans and a black vneck shirt out of his dresser he turned and placed them on the neatly made bed. He set the phone down on the mattress and got dressed while talking to Ziva.

"All I need is a couple of hours. How should I contact you?"

"I will contact you Malachi, I am going to do my own bit of eavesdropping and see what I can gather. Hopefully we will have a day head start rather than a couple of hours."

"Director Vance's wife was also killed, I am sure he will understand the want to begin an individual inquiry before politics between our countries and even the Institution get involved. God forbid the Prime Minister..." He let the last part linger for emphasis which was not needed, Ziva thought the same thing from the beginning, he had merely verbally stated what had been an unspoken understanding already. Eli and the Prime Minister were old Army friends, and the Prime Minister was one not afraid to bulldoze anyone when the murder of his own had been committed, even when the President and every other person in leadership within the United States government were the the one being bulldozed.

Malachi finished getting dressed, put on his black loafers and ran his hand through his hair. He had always been one to need not a thing extra to make him appealing to the eye. He could roll out of bed in the morning and be voted the most handsome man alive.

He picked up the phone, turned off speakerphone and walked to the front foyer to get his keys and wallet. He then walked back into the kitchen and closed the window and locked it. Malachi opened a hidden drawer in the island countertop and pulled out four weapons: a 9 mm Glock, a small .22 caliber Beretta, a four inch carbon bladed switch blade and a five inch hunting knife with a para cord handle. He equipped himself with his always present weaponry and picked the phone up. Ziva had been going on about the weather changes among other things in order to buy time before they ended their call.

"I always love a reason to wear my winter coat, and you are more than adorable in a coat, hat and scarf." He said as to appear he had been paying attention at least some what. He walked to the front door.

"I look like a young child."

"Exactly...Adorable. Now Ziva, you have successfully wasted twenty minutes talking about weather patterns. I must go. Please, try to get some rest. Even if its not sleep, lay down and rest."

"Be careful Malachi, there is no way to know if my father is the only one to have been targeted."

"I know Ziva, you need to be even more careful. If you don't call by in a couple of hours..."

"I will call before that. Talk to you soon."

Malachi hung up the phone, and peered out the front door into the street. It was more out of habit than caution for the circumstances but now he couldn't afford to not be as cautious as usual. He needed to be even more so.

After seeing noone in sight and nothing suspicious he exited his home, locked the three bolt locks. He approached his car and dropped his keys near the front of the vehicle, he leaned down to pick them up and peered under the car. Seeing no obvious signs of an explosive device he got into his vehicle and left for Eli David's home just a short drive across the country and just outside of Israel's capital city of Jerusalem.


End file.
